1-10-1 Principle

The new "mantra" of Cold Water Immersion Survival is the 1-10-1 Principle. All times are variable & dependent on the temperature of the water.

1 - One minute to gain control of your breathing

If you have warning that you may be going into the water, be prepared! Cover your nose and mouth and go in as slowly as possible keeping your head above water. Calm yourself, control your breathing, and then prepare for potential meaningful movement for self-rescue.

10 - You may have 10 minutes of meaningful movement to perpetuate self-rescue.

Without exhausting your self and your body temperature, determine the best manner in which to self-rescue. Get back in or on top of your watercraft If you have not yet gotten into a life jacket do so as quickly as possible. You must keep your airway open.

1 - You may have 1 hour before becoming hypothermic and losing consciousness.

Cause of death from hypothermia is not loss of consciousness it is the heart stopping. Body temperature can drop another 3-5 degrees after you become unconscious before the heart stops. (An important reason to wear the life jacket) With nothing to keep your head above water, should you become incapacitated, you will drown.

Four Effects of Cold Water Immersion

It's very important to understand the difference between Cold Water Immersion and hypothermia. When over 50% of professionals and non professionals believe that victims will become hypothermic in a few minutes it changes the dynamics of how a person reacts in the water. If a victim understands that they will not succumb to hypothermia in a short time it may lessen the chance of panic. A victim who can remain calm has a greater chance of self rescue.

GaspIncapacitationHypothermia(Circum-Rescue Collapse)

All of the following averages are dependent upon the temperature of the water and condition of the victim.

Cold Shock: Lasts 1 to 5 Minutes Including the gasp and hyperventilation

Cold Incapacitation: Can set in in 5 to 15 minutes

Hypothermia: 30 Minutes or longer

Circum Rescue Collapse: Collapse of a victim after or at the time if rescue. A victim "gives up" the fight.

A victim who knows they are going into the water should enter the water as slowly as possible, attempt to always be insulated, do not get your head wet and keep as much of the body out of the water as possible. A victim will feel much better, generally, if they can keep as much of their body out of the water as possible. There is stress on the cardiac system. Individuals who have underlying cardiac issues may have cardiac difficulties, but generally others will not. A person can train himself to overcome the respiratory responses they will experience; they probably cannot overcome the cardiac responses.

Cold Shock and cold incapacitation can happen while a victim is normal thermic. Once you lose strength and coordination it will not come back. Use what you can when you can. Determine what will keep you afloat as long as possible. Get to a secure position and stay there to wait for rescue. Most of the deaths that we hear about are from cold shock or cold incapacitation, which occurs long before hypothermia sets in. A victim will become hypothermic if you have some form of flotation that would allow for the airway to remain protected to prevent drowning before hypothermia could set in. The body is a large mass and thermally protected by vasoconstriction (shutting the windows of the house). Turn on the furnace…shivering.